2016 is CEATEC JAPAN’s 17th year, held for four days from October 4th to October 7th marks a bold step forward into the future. Starting this year, CEATEC has evolved from being a comprehensive 
exhibition for cutting-edge IT and electronics into a CPS/IoT exhibition. As the venue for spotlighting futuristic concepts and new business models, it has been recast as a technology showcase for CPS/IoT, a burgeoning field with the potential to change the way people live and the structure of industry.. The exhibition was divided into 4 areas – the Community Area, Town Area, Home Area, and CPS/IoT Technology & Software Area – offering diverse exhibits that demonstrate how CPS/IoT will change lifestyles in the future. Also, in addition to a keynote speech on the coming age of CPS/IoT, there were over 120 conferences covering a wide range of topics – from the latest trends in the US and Germany, to AI, Industry 4.0 and fintech. Among the speakers were the key figures representing leading companies and research organizations that have developed cutting-edge technologies in various fields.
This year’s exhibition theme was Connecting Society, Creating the Future. Society in the CPS/IoT age will create value through making connections. That is why linking industries, technologies and policy-making is the mission of the new CEATEC JAPAN. In addition to linking AI with fintech with robotics, etc., CEATEC will become known for generating connections, such as international policy coordination and the creation of new business through links that cross the conventional boundaries that separate industries. Worthy of the title of Combined Exhibition of Advanced TEChnology, CEATEC JAPAN is evolving into a next-generation event that acts as a catalyst for building the future.
Everything from the technologies that support a CPS/IoT society to the services that make use of those technologies were brought together at this groundbreaking event. At CEATEC JAPAN 2016, the comprehensive CPS/IoT exhibition that highlights business models for the new age, there were 648 companies and organizations exhibiting, an increase of 22% over last year. As many as 150,000 visitors attended over the four days.